What If Something Changed?
by HarryJackson487
Summary: What if something changed? This will be a series of what ifs that could potentially change everything. All stories will be one-shots. Stories such as Harry dying in the graveyard and Harry taking his education seriously may make it into here. Each story may have a different rating, so it is going to stay at T for now. I am open to suggestions for different story ideas.


**_What if Harry jumped in front of the AK to save Cedric Diggory?_**

 **My own spinoff of Cedric living.**

 **Disclaimer: Hmm, let me see. Rights to Harry Potter, where are you? Come on, I thought I saw you somewhere. Nope? Darn. Still don't own it.**

* * *

As Harry's feet slammed into the ground, his senses went on high alert. No one told him the cup was a portkey. Maybe... "Ced, did anyone tell you that the cup was a portkey?"

"No, did you know?" Cedric looked uncertain.

"No," This made Harry feel very uneasy. Something was very wrong.

"Cedric, pull your wand out. I have a feeling we're going to get some trouble." At that, Cedric unsheathed his wand and took on a fighting stance.

Harry looked around at the dreary graveyard that they had been brought to. An old church could be seen off in the distance, past the yew tree and large, rolling hilltop. To the right, a quaint house could be made out through the dim lighting.

Suddenly, a rustle could be heard. "Someone's coming," Harry muttered in warning. Wormtail appeared through the bushes holding something akin to a baby in a blanket.

"KILL THE SPARE," Demanded a high, cold voice that seemed to appear from nowhere. The dreaded words, "Avada Kedavra," were spoken and a sickly green light came hurtling straight towards Cedric. Acting quickly, Harry jumped in front the curse just as it hit him and he tumbled ungracefully towards the ground. The body of Harry Potter lay spread-eagled upon the grass, his face more calm and peaceful in death than it had ever been in life.

Cedric was in shock. The-Boy-Who-Lived, The Savior, The Fourth Triwizard Champion, Gryffindor Seeker, and Leader of the Golden Trio of Hogwarts had just jumped in front of the killing curse to save him. And now Harry Potter lay dead in front of him.

* * *

He barely heard the disembodied voice say, "You fool! Quick! Take the spare instead." He didn't resist as he was tied to a gravestone and he was stabbed in the arm to collect blood. He didn't notice as the graying man cut off his own arm and dropped it into a cauldron. He watched through a haze of blurred colors as the man fell to the ground and finished the ritual.

He did, however, notice when You-Know-Who rose from the large, black cauldron and demanded that he be robed. He did notice when the Dark Lord refused the bleeding stump of an arm that the short man offered to him in favor of his forearm that bore the Dark Mark. He saw as the most feared wizard in Britain, believed to be dead, pressed the mark and a several skull mask-clad people appeared before them.

Cedric listened through all of the confusion as the newly-risen Dark Lord informed him and the rest of his Death Eaters of how had come back. He ranted about the stupidity of Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore and spoke of his most faithful Death Eater- one stationed at Hogwarts at that moment in time and spoke of Bertha Jorkins and her untimely death.

As the monster finished his speech, he spoke to Cedric for the first time. "And now, my spare, we must duel, for no one escapes Lord Voldemort. Wormtail! Give the child his wand." Pettigrew released him from the gravestone and Cedric dropped to the ground. His wand was tossed to him and he grabbed it shakily.

"Bow Cedric Diggory. Bow to death." As he stood slowly, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named pointed his wand at him and forced his back to bend forward into a bow.

"Never, " He shouted before pointed the wand in his hand, one that did not feel very familiar to him, and cast Stupefy at the same time the Dark Lord cast Avada Kedavra. The two spells connected and something amazing and terrifying happened. The spells fused together to form a golden light that seemed to have a phoenix song emanating from it. Small beads of light were slowly sliding towards Cedric as a ghost-like Harry Potter, the boy he just saw die, appeared right in front of him.

"Cedric, I will never regret this. Please tell them I'm sorry but I just couldn't let you die." Harry said through transparent tears. Cedric nodded mutely before turning back to the connection just in time to see another person appear before him.

An old man, whom he did not recognize, remarked, "He's a real wizard I see. Take him down, boy."

Cedric was now struggling to hold onto the connection. The heat was building up and his sweaty hand was sliding on the wand that he now realized must have Harry's. The small beads began to slide away from him towards Voldemort as he fought to maintain control of Harry's wand. Voldemort's face looked angered and confused, as though he had no idea what was going on.

Another one, a woman this time, who he thought he recognized as Bertha Jorkins, the missing Ministry employee, stood by him. "He's alive, I see. Please, don't let him get away, for all of you."

Now, a man, who strikingly resembled Harry, James Potter, he registered stood before him. "Cedric, are you? Thank you for being there for my son. You meant more to him then you could ever believe. Get out of there. For your sake. If not for you, then for Harry."

Lily Potter was now there, looking at him with a proud expression on her face. "We don't have much time. When I say now, break the connection and run. Grab the portkey and make it back to the school. We will only be able to slow him for a few seconds before we disappear."

"Cedric, take my body back. I don't want it being used for any rituals or anything he might use it for," Harry blurted out.

"Of course, Harry. But I'd like to think your friends would to have it back to bury it as well."

"Cedric, it's time. One, two, three, NOW!" James shouted. Cedric broke the connection and ran. The ghosts crowded around the angry dark lord, blocking him from the evil wizard's line of sight.

Cedric ran to Harry's body and reached for the cup. Noticing it was too far, and Voldemort was closing in on him, he summoned the cup to him and disappeared in a flash.

* * *

"It's them! It's Diggory and Potter!"

"Harry!"

"It's Cedric! He's won!"

Cries of their success from the audience could be heard from all directions as Cedric lay over Harry's dead body. He clutched the cup in one hand and held onto Harry's arm with the other.

People began to make their way down the stands and onto the fields to get a better glimpse of the Hogwarts champions. As people got closer, they began to notice that something was wrong. Neither champion was moving nor making any attempt to get help. Whispers of the possible deaths of both champions flew through the crowd along with even more outrageous suggestions, such as, "Potter's killed Diggory," and, "It's not them! They're simply transfigurations or maybe even animations. But I wonder

where the real people are."

Dumbledore approached them to tell them to get up before abruptly stopping as he caught sight of the former Chosen One, the boy he loved like a grandson, the boy who lay dead at his feet. Quickly clearing his head, Albus continued forward and proceeded to attempt to remove the Diggory boy from his body, but the sobbing boy clung to Harry as though his life depended on it.

"Mr. Diggory. Mr. Diggory! Cedric!" The boy finally turned toward the headmaster. "Please, we need to get to Harry."

Cedric reluctantly moved and the spectators finally got a glimpse of Harry Potter. Screams of, "NO!", "He can't be dead!", and "Harry!", were heard throughout the Quidditch field as everyone seemed to catch on to what was occurring.

Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley came pushing through the crowds of people in disbelief, tears streaming down their shocked faces. Neville Longbottom sank to the ground and cried as he thought of the boy who he trusted and had been there for throughout the entire tournament. Ginny Weasley sprinted down the stands to prove everyone wrong, that he couldn't be dead. Fred and George Weasley's faces were unusually solemn as they stood in front of the horde of witches and wizards. Molly Weasley was screaming, her head shaking in denial as her husband stood silently, trying to comfort her while tears streamed down his face. Bill and Charlie Weasley stood awkwardly by their family, trying to offer comfort while looking upset themselves, wishing they had tried to get to know the boy better. Hundreds of people stood before the two champions, trying to comprehend the death of their savior.

Cornelius Fudge pressed forward to speak to Albus Dumbledore and receive confirmation. "Albus, is he dead?" The headmaster of Hogwarts nodded as the minister shouted, "Harry Potter is dead!"

Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody limped up to the cluster of people and grabbed Cedric. "Come-on, boy. Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey." Cedric nodded mutely and followed the ex-auror back to the castle.

* * *

They entered and walked towards Mad-Eye's office. Cedric thought he remembered Moody telling him that they were going to the hospital wing, but he was too dazed to take much notice of it and just continued moving as though he was in a trance. The ex-auror threw him into a chair and pointed his wand at him.

"Is the Dark Lord back? How many of his followers returned? How did he treat them?" Mad-Eye shot questions at him faster than he could comprehend.

"You-Know-Who is back. I don't know how many Death Eaters came for him, I only recognized Malfoy, Pettigrew, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott and he said there was a spy in Hogwarts. He forgave them. Why are you asking me this stuff? Harry's dead and all you care about is V-Voldemort!" Cedric replied heatedly. "And why are you pointing a wand at me?"

"Boy, how do you think the cup became a portkey? Why did I tell you to help him on the second task? Why do you think Krum was Crucioing people in the maze? Who do you think the spy is? Diggory, I'm the spy," 'Mad-Eye' revealed.

Just as he finished saying that, his face started to become distorted and he bent over in pain. His wooden leg became loose before dropping to the floor and his magical eye popped off his head. His whole figure began to change into that of a much younger, smaller man.

He looked up and Cedric was astonished by the face that was where Mad-Eye Moody's was just a moment ago. He greatly resembled Barty Crouch from the ministry, what with his straw-colored hair and pale, freckled skin.

Suddenly, the door to his office burst open, and Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall came through, their wands pointed directly at the imposter. "Barty Jr., I never would have guessed."

"Barty Jr., as in Mr. Crouch's son. But Dad said that he was dead," Cedric stated, confused.

"Ah, so you've heard of me. I've escaped to aid my master in achieving greatness! "The man announced with a maniacal laugh succeeding it. As soon as he finished speaking he was hit by a stunning spell from Albus Dumbledore.

"Severus, please get your strongest vial of Veritaserum and bring the minister back with you. Don't let him take any guards with him. Minerva, please fetch the dog in my office and take him to the Hospital Wing. Floo Call Remus Lupin as well and take him to the Hospital Wing as well. Whatever you do, don't let them see Harry. Make sure the boy is covered." Dumbledore took control of the situation and sent his staff away.

After the professors left, Dumbledore looked towards Cedric. "My boy, I know this has been a terrible ordeal for you, but the sooner you tell me everything, the sooner we can fix things."

Cedric looked at the headmaster as though he had lost his mind. "You can't possibly believe that telling you everything is going to bring Harry back. Because nothing can. He's gone and he's not coming back." With that, the boy dissolved into huge, wracking sobs as the older man looked at him with sympathy in his non-twinkling eyes.

"Cedric, I understand that nothing will ever bring Harry back. But as soon as I know what happened, I can begin the long process of avenging his death. Bringing down Lord Voldemort will allow Harry to rest easy, knowing that his family is safe."

Cedric looked up at the man as his sobs were reduced to hiccups. "I-I know. I just find it hard to even think about what happened. And it's all my fault!"

"My boy, nothing is your fault. Nothing, nothing, would cause the blame to fall on you. So unless you pointed the wand at him at your own free will, you are an innocent in this."

Cedric finally came back to his senses and prepared to tell the headmaster everything that had happened. "The cup was a port-key. It took us to an old graveyard. Harry seemed disturbed by this, so we both took our wands out. A man came out holding a baby-like thing and cast the killing curse. He said, 'Kill the spare,' and sent the spell towards me. Harry jumped in front of it and it hit him." At this, Cedric paused and took a deep breath. He finished his story just as Severus Snape and Cornelius Fudge came bursting through the doors.

* * *

"Dumbledore, we better make this quick. The press is going to have a field-day," Cornelius warned.

"Cornelius, we may have a bigger problem. Let's listen to what Barty Jr. has to say." With that, Severus poured three drops of the clear liquid into the unconscious man's mouth and cast a Renervate.

"Cornelius, ask any questions you wish," Dumbledore offered.

"Crouch, why were you impersonating Moody?" Fudge began.

"My Lord needed a spy in the school to make sure that the boy got to him." Once Barty finished speaking, Fudge adopted a shocked expression.

"But, surely, your master is dead."

"No, my master, Lord Voldemort, is alive and has returned to power."

"Preposterous. He has been dead for 13 years." Fudge was beginning to get angry. This was not what he wanted nor needed.

"My master freed me of my father's cruel hand after Father switched me out with my dying mother to free me from Azkaban." Crouch began to get a crazed look in his eye even through the blank stare the potion gave him as he spoke of his father while Fudge began to look uncertain.

"How do you know Sirius Black wasn't impersonating You-Know-Who?"

With that question, Jr. burst out laughing. "Black was never a Death Eater. Every time the position was offered to him, he shot it down and insulted my lord. You stupid ministry people really have no idea what really goes on do you?"

Cornelius was shocked beyond belief. Everything he had believed for the past 13 years was false. Lord Voldemort was not dead and Sirius Black never played a part in the Potters', or anyone else's for that matter, deaths.

"Cornelius. We must start immediately to prevent the Dark Lord from gaining power. With or without Harry, we will defeat him." Once he said that, Dumbledore took Cedric from the room, leaving Severus to deal with the confused Minister of Magic.

* * *

Cedric and the headmaster arrived in the Hospital Wing and were greeted by the sight of a black dog wagging his tail, a worried Remus, a down-cast Minerva, and a bemused Madam Pomfrey.

"

Sirius, you can transform now." Those around him were shocked as the dog turned into the escaped convict Sirius Black.

"Before you say anything, he is innocent and we have more pressing matters at hand to deal with than that." Dumbledore sighed before giving Sirius and Remus a sympathetic look. "Sirius, Remus, let's sit down and talk, shall we?" Reluctantly, the both of them walked over to a char and took a seat.

Albus thought for a minute. What would be the best way to tell Sirius that his godson, the last connection to James Potter, was dead. What about Remus Lupin, who taught the boy and got to know him for who he was? I suppose being blunt is the best way to go. Iry to sugarcoat it and Sirius thinks it's a prank or doesn't understand the severity of the situation, it would only be ten times worse. Remus would of course not want to know all of the details, but even still, he would most likely rather I get to the point than beat around the bush. Finally decided, Albus took the plunge.

"Sirius, Harry was killed by Lord Voldemort." The confused expression that adorned Sirius's face froze, as took the information in, before it slid off his face to be replaced by one of complete anguish and agony. Remus's worried mien melted into of sadness and grief. Poppy also looked thoroughly shocked and upset, as though she had lost her favorite student.

"How?" He managed to croak out.

"He jumped in front of a curse meant for Mr. Diggory," Dumbledore imparted, patting Cedric's shoulder lightly.

"He traded his life for yours?" Sirius queried. Cedric nodded. "Well then you better not waste it. I know my godson well enough to know that he would want you to live your

life to its fullest."

With the tension broken, the atmosphere turned to solemn, and Madam Pomfrey bustled about, fixing Cedrics wounds and setting him up to stay for the night.

"Poppy, I'm going to see what is going on outside. I may return with, you know..." Madam Pomfrey nodded and the headmaster left the room to see what had become of Harry's body.

* * *

Several days later, during the leaving feast, the school raised their glasses towards Harry and towards the long fight they had ahead.

That summer, Sirius Black was cleared of all charges via the forced testimony of Bartemius Crouch Junior and a willing questioning via Veritaserum. Lord Voldemort was declared alive and fully-functioning, so the ministry worked together with the Order of the Phoenix to prepare the world for the 2nd war against the worst Dark Lord since Gellert Grindelwald. They ensured the Dementors allegiance, got the giants support, moved many werewolves the light side, even convinced the acromantulas and a few vampires to support their side. Many more creatures were persuaded to join the fight against Voldemort as well as many citizens of Magical Britain. With the war fastapproaching, all the students were trained in defensive magic and the higher students were trained in offensive magic.

With minimal support, You-Know-Who wasn't as strong as in First War. The Dark Lord was defeated after what would have been Harry Potter's fifth year. The monster attacked the school, but the school was ready. In the end of the long, bloody battle, few light lives were lost, and Cedric Diggory killed him when both spells collided and the Avada Kedavra rebounded back on the man himself. All because Cedric never let go of Harry's wand, the one that was given to him by mistake and saved his life in that graveyard one year ago.

* * *

 **I know that Cedric may seem a little OOC, but please remember that Cedric is Hufflepuff who just went through a traumatic experience. He also hadn't had much in the way of characterization in canon. I tried to go off what was there, but that isn't my strong point. There are NO Horcruxes but Harry in my story. We can just assume that Voldemort's soul was very unstable from other dark rituals and he was planning on making Harry's death his first Horcrux anyways. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry that Halloween night, his soul still latched onto Harry, creating the Horcrux. So, when Harry was actually killed, both Harry's and Voldemort's soul died, making the Dark Lord mortal again.**

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